Blaze (Everything Can Come Apart)
by femmequeen
Summary: Freechamp WIP. Connie and Rita enjoy a secret relationship until a fire in the ED places one of them in danger, and they are forced to consider whether secrecy is a priority.
**Publishing regularly in short chapters!**

 **Prompt:** **"connie having to go back into the ed when there's a really dangerous situation eg a fire bc she's the only one w knowledge of cardiothoracics & before she goes back into the ed she gives rita a fucking passionate kiss on the mouth, revealing their relationship to everyone"**

 **Thank you, Becca, for killing me with your headcanons / writing the one that means we could start talking. xoxo**

 **Chapter 1: 6:00am**

It was common knowledge that the feud between Connie and Rita had suddenly and inexplicably dissipated, and it seemed that the entire team of the emergency department were too content with the calmer environment to question what had caused such a drastic change in atmosphere. If anyone did ask, either might say that they had settled their differences like professionals. The truth was that they had allowed the strangest and happiest morning to become their routine – and their limbs were entwined across the silk sheets of Connie's bed, as they had been many times before.

6am.

The alarm sounded, and roused them both from their slumber. Connie reached over to switch it off, her movements slowed by tiredness, and Rita pulled herself closer to her girlfriend. She sighed happily when Connie returned to her previous position on the bed, holding Rita close, in order to stroke her hair gently. The comfortable silence lasted a while, and then was broken by Connie with the most domestic phrase:

"Coffee?" she asked, taking her hand away from Rita's hair in order to push the duvet away. She was always the first to leave the warmth of the bed – unnecessarily early, in Rita's opinion. She watched as Connie draped her dressing gown across her bare skin, and considered pulling the clinical lead back to bed in order to kiss the freckles that were speckled across her back, the only constellations she had ever cared about – but allowed her to tie the robe around her waist without uttering a word. Alas, their shift did start soon.

"Sure" Rita mumbled instead, still hazy with sleep and happiness from waking up in Connie's house; her room; her arms. It was definitely easier to be a morning person when Connie was making the first coffee of the day.

She closed her eyes, and listened to her girlfriend softly step out of the room and down the stairs. Their life together was so gentle outside the hospital – no click-clack of heels on a hard floor, no constant chatter of the waiting room, nor machines constantly beeping in the background. There was only the sunrise filtering through the gaps in the curtains, the blackbird singing its carol in the garden and the distant sound of a kettle boiling downstairs.

Rita stretched across the bed, and breathed in Connie's perfume which always seemed to linger on the sheets. It was pure bliss to be here, she thought, in such an unlikely situation.

They had kissed before they had admitted even to themselves that they had feelings for each other. It had happened during a particularly heated argument in the staff room during a night shift, when they were both tired and overworked. Connie had raised her voice at Rita and, upon seeing the defiant expression in her eyes, was suddenly taken by the desire to kiss the nurse she was supposed to be furious with. In that moment, she had fractionally closed the distance between them in order to pursue the thought – but stopped short when she realised there were an abundance of negative consequences that could follow such an action.

Rita saw that Connie faltered, and noticed her conflicted expression. That was when she decided to take a risk that could end her career, because she closed the gap and kissed the clinical lead without a second thought – because she too realised, in that moment, that that was all she had wanted to do for months.

Neither of them attempted to move away, then. They shared a kiss as passionate as their argument had been, until they realised the blinds were open and reluctantly broke apart – but the admission of their mutual attraction had been made, and they smiled at each other for the first time in weeks.

Rita smiled now at the memory. It really was the start of something beautiful.

She heard Connie walking back up the stairs, and watched as she entered the room with two cups of coffee in her hands. Rita sat up in order to take her cup, and Connie placed hers on the nightstand next to their alarm. She then leant over to gently kiss Rita, an act which made the nurse's heart flutter, before turning around to examine the extensive contents of her wardrobe.

"You always look beautiful in the morning" Connie remarked, and Rita blushed a little at the compliment. Their routine was perfect, she thought. Was there anything that could change this?

7am.

Within the hour they were together, dressed and ready for work, in the hallway. Rita was sitting on the bottom of the stairs tying the laces of her trainers, and Connie was carefully deliberating between two pairs of Louboutin's.

"I love these, but sadly in our line of work any sort of bodily fluid can end up across them" she said before sighing, and opting for the other pair.

"You're lucky you don't have to walk to work" Rita said, raising her eyebrow at the height of the heel. "Which reminds me: are you ready to give up the staggered entrances yet?" She kept her tone playful, but secretly hoped that Connie would take the suggestion seriously.

The glare she received in return clearly conveyed Connie's disapproval, and Rita could not help but smile at the adverse reaction despite being slightly disappointed. She decided to continue teasing the clinical lead – it was adorable to see her flustered, after all.

"We're adults, Connie. We're allowed to be sleeping together. No one's going to ask for details – well, not straight away anyway." She raised an eyebrow suggestively, and Connie rolled her eyes.

"It's about professionalism _, Nurse Freeman._ I would hate for the issue of favouritism to reach Hanssen's office." She paused for a few seconds before meeting Rita's gaze with a mischievous look. "Besides, if people did start asking questions I don't think I could keep that image of you in purple lingerie out of my head. I might accidentally let some details slip."

"You would never!" Rita exclaimed, crossing her arms in mock defence. She studied Connie thoughtfully for a few seconds, and then continued: "The ones with the bows? I'll wear them again tonight just so the image is clear in your head. See you at work, darling" She pecked Connie on the lips, and headed towards the door.

"Only if that thought doesn't kill me first" Connie said quietly. Rita laughed, letting the happy sound echo through the hallway before the door closed behind her.

 **TBC.**

 **Reviews / comments / criticisms are welcomed / encouraged!**


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